Why do you believe what you believe?

@AnthonyDBye

I respect your wish not to debate, but I will respond to this:

''And I've seen so many Atheists talk and talk, so I don't need to watch that video.''

I'm sorry. I assume you care about finding the truth, and I find it to be blatantly ignorant to reject that video without even watching it. You call yourself a science geek, but you reject something beforehand, because you think you've listened to every point of view of every individual atheist?

Anyway, I'm leaving the thread. It was never my intention to start a debate, I was just responding to one of your claims.

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@AnthonyDBye We have never seen evidence of a paint bottles exploding and becoming things we recognise as paintings. But, we do see that universe is expanding as BlueRev said, so it is only reasonable to believe it was smaller in the past. If you rewind time enought with this theory you'll discover that you will end up with a singularity. A single point of infinite mass. That is merely one arguement for the Big Bang being true and my favourite.

"The Big Bang is not an explosion of matter moving outward to fill an empty universe. Instead, space itself expands with time everywhere and increases the physical distance between two comoving points." ~ Wikipedia (The "FLRW Metric" section.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bang

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@AnthonyDBye And I thought you would say something like that. I just can't bring myself to think like that, I have to have something I can perceive (Either evidence of, or the actually event.) or a logical claim that is based on things I have previously experienced and know about the universe.

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@BlueRev No, I appreciate you debating with me, I like debating with everyone. I just have to find a day that I'm free and I can sit and debate. And yes, I've seen the same video before and many others like it. But, I would really NOT like to become enemies because of religious differences. I completely respect what you have stated and what you believe and I can only ask that you would do the same to me.

P.S. I am a science geek, btw, lol.

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@Improbable_Heart Okay, I see and respect your point of view and maybe that is how God created the universe (through the Big Bang). We don't know for sure. Also, I would like to say something: If you have to see or have to have previously seen something to believe it's real, than you can't truly believe in anything or anyone. Because, believing comes without seeing. But anyway, as I said to BlueRev, I hope we don't become enemies over religious differences, but maybe we can become friends since we seem to have one thing in common (correct me if I'm wrong): we like to debate things. And that's all this was: a kind debate.

Also, about the Big Bang being an explosion, I guess I acquired inaccurate information from an inaccurate source. I don't really study "The Big Bang Theory" in science, I'm more towards Biology and Zoology like stuff.

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@AnthonyDBye I can believe in anything and anyone. I've seen things happen, objects fall, people act in different ways, certain things change, and certain things stay the same over different periods of time. As a human, I notice patters and use these patterns to make predictions. With these patterns in my mind, beliefs and theories may be created or adopted.

I very much doubt we will become enemies, you have done nothing to make me dislike, and you have only given me a fun debate

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Also, so you don't take the Bible literally? You believe God created the universe, but not exactly as mentioned in the Bible. In seven days?

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Interesting question! :D I asked myself this question and this what I came up with!

I believe in what I believe in because its hope for a better future, hope that things can change, hope that my faith will keep me stronger to face obstacles in life. I believe to be as an open minded person. What I believe I think its true however that does not mean I may not consider other people's beliefs. :D

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@Improbable_Heart In reply to your first comment: You can't believe in things seen, believing comes without seeing; faith comes without seeing. You may believe something is going to happen or develop a theory, but you can't honestly believe in someone like God if you see him. We have to have faith. But we can agree to disagree. And you have not done anything to make me dislike you either, this debate was fun.

In reply to your second comment: I do take the Bible seriously but you have to understand it; the Bible is poetic. Such as when it says God created the Heavens and the Earth in seven days, it also says in the Bible (different chapter) that one day is as one thousand years with God. In turn, that would be seven thousand years that it took God to create the Earth, but in God's realm it was only seven days.

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@AnthonyDBye That is a rather interesting fact, thank you for sharing it.

Do you not find the Bible can be interpreted incorrectly? And that your interpretation may be wrong?

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@Improbable_Heart When I read the Bible I ask God to help me interpret what he's saying and to speak to me through His word. I wouldn't be able to understand or interpret much of the Bible without God helping me. -that is how I know my interpretation is not wrong, because God himself is helping me interpret it that way.

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@BlueberryWaffles Guess I am kinda late... But I'll answer anyway.

I believe in an God that created everything. He does not give birth nor did one give birth to Him. He is eternal, without beginning and logically following, He has no end. There is nothing like Him. And He has 99 names. Yeah, I believe in Islam.

Well if you had asked me why I believed in Islam before, I would have probably shrugged and said, "I dunno, It's what my parents believe in so... yeah." On that note, if your answer for what you believe in is similar to the one above then there is something wrong.

But then I started questioning why I believed in what I did. For example, I used to live abroad and I just started wearing the Hijjab (Scarf/towel thingy on head, whatever term is familiar to you.) And I would see other girls without scarfs, and I'd think, "I wish I could walk around without a towel on my head... Too bad its haram (Not allowed)." So began the doubt and questioning...

I started studying and learning about Islam, trying to find a flaw so I can point it out and say, "See, this is all rubbish." And I did, and 9/11 happened. And I thought, "Whoa, if Muslims are terrorists then Islam is bad." And all the media stuff got to my head. Funny thing is, all that time I'd been a "Muslim" I'd never bothered to actually pick up the Quran and read it. Which is silly, because the Quran is supposed to be God's word, and I haven't even bothered to read what God had to say. I've been too busy listening to people. So I picked it up and read it open-mindedly, and well, everything I needed to know was in there.

As Sheikh Lee once said: "If you say Muslims are bad, then I have no comment. Because Muslims are people and people make mistakes. But If you say Islam is bad, then I completely disagree with you, because Islam is God's religion and God is perfect thus his religion must be perfect."

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That felt long.... I dunno if I increased your boredom or if I satisfied your curiosity. But thanks for reading, if you read.

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@Freezing_Fire I read it, and it did satisfy my curiosity, so thank you for the thoughtful post. I liked what you had to say, particularly how you took the time to examine your faith and beliefs (something I think we should all do) and didn't let negative media or feelings toward your faith at the time trip you up. Thank you for posting, sorry it took me so long to reply.

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@BlueberryWaffles That's okay, I think that I'm the one that took long to post my opinion on the topic... :)

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My heart touching work - http://www.wattpad.com/6755679-at-the-cross?d=ud .. Do read it... Thank u =)

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@BlueberryWaffles I believe in Christianity, because I've encountered Jesus Christ in a very personal way. Growing up in church, I kept hearing all these stories about people coming to know Christ, and I couldn't understand what they were saying. I just grew up believing what I was told. I was sixteen and it was my first year of college when I went to a Jesus Revolution night and that's where I met Him in a powerful way. Admittedly, there were encounters with Him before that - I was just too... i dunno, distracted I guess... to realize. That night, I fell in love with Him. And I've gotten to know Him more and more since... Ask any Christian whose had a personal encounter with Christ and they'll tell you, in A.W. Tozer's words, that "to find God and still to pursue Him is the soul's divine paradox of love".

I guess in summary, all I'm saying is I'm a Christian because I fell in love with Christ.

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@Psalmista Hi Psalmista! :) I think that is a beautiful way of putting it. I've always liked the idea of equating God with love. Makes sense to me! A couple nosy questions because as always, I'm curious: What about being a Christian do you like the most? Does it give you some sort of missing piece? I've heard a lot of people say that spirituality/faith fills some sort of (and this will sound deep) hole in your soul, so I'm wondering if you would say that's true.

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@BlueberryWaffles What about being a Christian do I like the most? The relationship with God itself. I mean, I don't know if you've ever been in love, but if you have, then you'll know what it's like - the feeling of always wanting to be around the person you love, and just craving that person's presence. Christianity, to me, is being in love with the Greatest Being ever and knowing that He loves me with a love I couldn't possibly completely fathom.

Does that fill some sort of void in my life? Of course it does. I think all humans have longings. I'm quoting Mike Bickle on this one: "He [God] intentionally planted longings deep within our hearts that only He can fill. He hard-wired us to need, to want, and to find our satisfaction in Him and Him alone. It is the epitome of intelligent design. God’s design—both brilliant and diligent—is evidence that He is a jealous God who does not want us to be given over to any lesser pleasure. We were made for Him." (from Seven Longings of the Human Heart by Mike Bickle).

Hope that answers your question. :)

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@Psalmista It does, thank you ^_^

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i am christian and believe in the one true God, that loved us even when we sinned to send his one and only Son to die for us so we may be with him and have eternal life @BlueberryWaffles

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Apologetics is how I converted to the Church, especially Church history. For me, it was a very left-brain decision to convert, which is why I didn't second-guess the idea and distrust it. If I had felt emotionally led, I would probably still be evangelical. I have felt tempted to go back sometimes because of nostalgia and social attachments and what keeps me here is Bible studies, moral theology, Church history, systematic theology, Catechetics, spirituality, liturgy, and the presence of the Sacrament that shows this Church is the most logical one to be founded by Jesus Christ; it is the deepest and most beautiful. I like having answers for people asking why I left to go to Catholicism too.

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